Three Stars
by Desert Blossom-by-the-Sea
Summary: Daniel and Sam must unite three mysterious stars to save a planet, but can the team save Daniel from himself? Suggested violence, language and sexual situations, not graphic COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Season:** 5, pre Summit

**Rating:** T, language, mild violence, suggested rape and sexual situations in later chapters

**A/N:** I humbly apologize to my Hindu friends. I took a few ideas from this tradition and totally made them my own – changed things around. If you are offended, I am sorry. It was not my intention to offend, just tell a story. For accurate information, please check Hinduism. or on Vishnu. I'll also include a "vocabulary" lesson at the end of each chapter when the definition of Hindi words isn't included within the chapter. I probably made a mess of the grammar or proper use of the words. After all, I'm not a linguist, unlike someone we all know and love. If you're underage – go do your homework! Yeah, I know it's summer, he he. I'm a teacher – I'll make some up for you. ; )

**Three Stars**

Chapter 1

Daniel stepped back from the wall of the temple he'd been studying. Swiping his camouflage-clad arm across the carvings, he leaned forward to get a better look. He dug into his backpack, muttering to himself while he searched for a book with sketches of similar carvings from an Earth temple.

"So, Daniel, think you'll be done any time soon?" Jack was bored. _Three days on this planet with nothing to do but watch a couple of scientists play with their new toys._

"Uh… oh…Jack." Daniel was so focused on his work that Jack's presence barely registered. "Need something?"

"Yeah. I need to go home. You almost done?" Jack adjusted his sunglasses.

"Hum? What? Oh, tomorrow. Go away and let me work." Daniel had already forgotten Jack was there.

Jack left the archeologist to search for his other scientist geek. _Maybe I can get her to come out and play. Whoa! Don't go there!_

An hour later, Daniel was rooted in the same spot. He had notebooks, reference books, and his laptop scattered all around him as he struggled to decipher the writings on the wall.

"Hey, Daniel. Anything interesting?" Sam approached her friend from across the clearing.

"Well, it seems to be talking about stars and eyes and a blue something-or-other. Doesn't make much sense." Daniel turned toward Sam and flipped his hat back off his head. "Any luck with your research?"

"My readings indicate that at one time there was a power source so strong that the residual effects are still registering. I think it centers on this temple. Have you found a way in yet?" Sam began pacing the length of the wall, using her hands to detect any possible crack that may be an opening.

"No. No way in, but I've been working on this and haven't been looking."

Sam and Daniel stepped back and stood together, looking at the temple. As they stood there, mentally scratching their heads in thought, a delicate native woman emerged from the protection of the jungle. She was shorter than the average Earth woman, slender, with hair that hung past her waist in a fall of black silk over tawny skin. She walked with an assurance of her sexuality, as women have walked since time began.

Sam and Daniel became aware of her presence at the same moment and turned as a unit toward her. Sam raised her ever present P90 in protection of her unarmed colleague.

"You have arrived. We have waited for you for eons." Her voice was soft and drew Daniel in with its melodious tones.

"Stay right where you are." Sam thumbed on her radio. "Sir, we've made contact with a native. She appears to be unarmed."

"We'll be right there," Jack's voice wafted over the air.

Daniel stepped out from behind Sam and strode toward the petite woman.

"We're peaceful explorers from Earth who seek friendship with you and your people." Daniel detected her scent from a distance. She smelled like a cool breeze on a hot, humid day. "My name is Daniel Jackson. This is Major Samantha Carter. Two more of our people are on the way."

He continued to close the distance between them. She waited, unthreatened, for his approach. When he came within an arm's length he halted. He offered his hand in friendship. She glanced briefly at it and returned her gaze to his face.

Daniel sucked in his breath as his eyes met hers. Her eyes were the color of cornflowers – the bluest blue he had ever seen. It was a startling contrast to her dark hair and skin. But more than that, her eyes were filled with the knowledge of ages past.

Jack and Teal'c came sprinting up from behind the woman. The two men slowed down as they took in the situation, discerning that she did not pose an immediate physical threat. Jack took one look at Daniel's face – his mouth gaped open as he stared at the native beauty - and knew they were in for trouble. _Oh, Danny-boy, you're in deep do-do._ Jack looked over Daniel's shoulder at Carter, caught her eyes and gave a lop-sided grin as he nodded his head toward their linguist – who was monetarily without the power of speech.

"I am Chandani Prema, priestess in this temple, Guardian of Asara. My people have waited long for you, Daniel Jackson, and you, Major Samantha Carter." Once again her musical voice captured Daniel's interest.

Jack stepped from behind the priestess to face her. "What do you mean? How can my people help you?"

Daniel mentally shook himself and resumed his duties. "I'm sorry. This is Colonel Jack O'Neill, our leader, and behind you is Teal'c."

Chandani nodded slightly in acknowledgment of the two men. "Please, let's enter the temple and I will explain." She walked up the steps toward the center of the building and, with a press of her palm, a stone slab slid open. She vanished into the cool darkness of the temple.

As Daniel's eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room, his attention was immediately riveted onto a painted statue opposite the doorway. The statue depicted a blue man with four arms, holding an object in each hand. He was seated with his legs folded in a lotus position, hair falling to his naked shoulders, while his legs were covered in bright yellow cloth. The carving on the wall behind him was done in such a way that it gave the statue a halo. A halo with three empty holes set in a triangular shape.

"Sir, the energy reading just jumped." Sam fiddled with the gauges on her equipment.

O'Neill nodded briefly, his eyes scanning the room for hidden dangers. Teal'c walked the perimeter of the room, also scouting.

Daniel moved closer to examine the objects in the statue's hands. "Jack!" Daniel's excitement was contagious. "This is Vishnu, the Hindu god of preservation. Do you know what this means?" Without waiting for Jack to answer, Daniel continued, almost dancing with excitement, "It means that more Earth cultures than we previously believed have been scattered throughout the universe. This is so huge!"

Jack's eyes twinkled with amusement as his friend gathered steam. "Daniel! Breathe!"

Jack kept one eye on each scientist, who both tended to block out danger when in discovery-mode. Sam was taking readings throughout the room, while Teal'c stayed by her side.

Chandani observed the aliens wandering about her temple in fascination. Jack noticed that she especially watched Daniel and Sam as they explored.

"Please. I would like to tell you why we have waited for you." Chandani attempted to gather the four into one smaller group. "I wish for you to know about the mission we must pursue together."

"Gather 'round, kids. It's story time," Jack called the others together.

Daniel and Sam reluctantly left their studies and came to stand by Jack, Teal'c following Sam.

Chandani stood next to the statue so that the group could see them both.

"As Daniel Jackson has said, this is Vishnu, the Preserver. He holds four objects: the Sudarshan, the Panchajanya, a lotus flower, and a mace. The Sudarshan is a weapon of energy, also called a chakra, the wheel of life. It is used by Vishnu to protect all life, everywhere." Daniel was riveted to her, his eyes following hers. "The Panchajanya is a conch shell, from which the life-giving waters flow. The lotus is associated with creation and the "lotus position" gives us the breath of life. Finally, he is holding a mace, tool of war, but also a symbol of power."

She moved closer to the back wall, pointing to the halo carved there. "This shows the light and power that come from Vishnu. Here is the problem," she said, pointing. "The three empty spaces in his halo are meant to hold the Three Stars, or blue diamonds. They are the power behind the Sudarshan. Without those stars, Vishnu cannot protect our people." She stepped closer to the group. "Each star has a name and a power. One is Medha Rohini, the Star of Knowledge. Samantha Carter, that is the star fate has decreed you will find."

Moving nearer to Daniel, she continued, "Daniel Jackson, you will find the Mahabala Divyesh, the Strength of the Sun. I must find the final star, the Chandani Prema – Star of Love, for which I am named. Only when the Three Stars are again placed in their slots, will the power of the Sudarshan be complete. Only then will Vishnu drive away the evil goddess Kali."

"Hold it! You're saying you want my people to go running all over the universe, putting themselves at risk, so your god can shoo away another god?" Jack was determined to protect his team members, even though he suspected it was already a loosing battle. "Go find someone else to help you. I'm not letting my people risk their lives for you."

Chandani turned her eyes to Jack's. "There is more. Among my people, only one female in each generation is born with eyes of blue. She becomes the priestess to Vishnu. The priestesses have waited over a thousand years for a man and a woman with eyes of blue to come together to Vishnu. The man must be a man of strength, both of body and spirit. He is a leader."

Chandani eyed Daniel. "The woman must be a woman of great intelligence and knowledge. She is a guide."

She turned toward Sam. "The priestess, me, will bring together the Three Stars in love, united to defend against evil."

Looking pointedly back at Jack, "Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter are these people. They possess those qualities. They are the Chosen Ones. Only each Chosen one can touch their star without sinking into madness. Only good and light can overcome evil and darkness. It must be the three of us. You, Jack O'Neill, and you, Teal'c, may come, but you must not interfere in the quest."

"For crying out loud! My people are not putting their lives in danger for a legend. You'll have to wait for two other blue-eyed people to show up. These two," Jack waved his hand in their direction, "are not your Chosen Ones."

"Colonel, sir, if I may?" Jack rolled his eyes knowing what was coming from Carter. "This could be a source of energy and power that could help Earth. Isn't that our primary mission? Looking for technology for our defense?"

Jack raised his hand to stop Daniel as he opened his mouth to join in Sam's protest. "Don't say it, Daniel. You're right, Carter. Just trying to keep you guys safe. We'll have to go back to SGC for Hammond's permission." Turning to Chandani he asked, "Will you go with us and explain more about this to our superior?"

"I am ready when you are." Chandani pressed the palms of her hands together, fingers pointing upwards, and gave Jack a slight bow.

"It's afternoon now and we aren't expected until tomorrow anyway. We leave at first light. It's a three-hour hike to the gate." Jack faced Chandani, "Maybe you could find time this afternoon to help Daniel translate the inscriptions on this temple."

Daniel threw a thankful glance in Jack's direction as he waited for Chandani's answer.

"I would be most willing to help the Chosen Ones."

**A/N: **Asara – hope

Sudarshan, Panchajanya – names of 2 of the objects the god Vishnu holds


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

That evening as the team finished cleaning up after dinner, Jack turned to Daniel. "So, Danny, a new girl on this planet, too? Good, I'm glad to see you're keeping up with a girl on every planet." Jack didn't try to conceal his smirk.

"Yes, Jack," Daniel replied sarcastically. "Seriously, there's something about her that intrigues me. She's…well, she's different. I'm not sure how to explain it. And, no, Jack, it's not just physical attraction." Daniel glared at Jack over the top of his glasses, hoping to prevent any further teasing.

Sam decided she needed to intervene, "Daniel, I think she's interesting. She certainly gave us a fascinating problem. I wonder how the diamonds power the shield…"

"Thanks, Danny, you got her started into the techno-babble." Jack stood up and headed for his tent. "Danny, you've got first watch, then Carter, me, and Teal'c last. 'Night, campers."

XXXXXXXXXX

SG1 broke camp the next morning and had just fastened their packs onto their backs, when they heard a noise coming from above.

"Uh, oh, I know that sound." Jack snatched up his binoculars and scanned skyward. "There." He pointed as the rest of his team followed the direction of his finger. "Goa'uld death gliders. There must be at least six. Where there are gliders, there's a mothership."

"Jack! They're firing near the temple!" Daniel's voice echoed his near panic. "Chandani!"

Daniel took off for the temple with Sam and Teal'c immediately behind him.

"Daniel! Stop!" Jack tried to stop the younger man. "For a genius, he sure does stupid things sometimes," Jack muttered as he sprinted after his team.

Daniel's speed rivaled that of any Olympic Gold Medal runner as he covered the mile between camp and the temple, Sam and Teal'c immediately behind him.

The gliders were circling the temple, laying down fire on the ground around the building, but avoiding the temple itself. Chandani was standing on the top step, serenely watching the gliders. She lowered her eyes to see Daniel bolt out of the jungle in her direction.

Daniel could only see Chandani in danger. Almost exhausted from his run in full gear, he ordered his body to go faster. He had to get to her before the death gliders. He could not see one more person die because of him.

Sam, Teal'c, and Jack exploded out of the jungle, firing at the gliders. Chandani flew down the steps crying out for the others to stop shooting. "No! You must not kill for me! It is forbidden! Stop!"

She was so intent on stopping their violent defense that she didn't watch where she was going. She stumbled on a pebble and catapulted several meters to lie in a heap at Daniel's feet. He seized her arm, pulling her up. He scooped her up and hastened back to the relative safety of the jungle.

The others continued their covering fire and high-tailed it after Daniel as soon as he was under cover. At the base of a sheltering Banyan tree, Daniel settled Chandani down to check for injuries. Finding nothing more obvious than a bruise on her forehead, Daniel squatted beside her to catch his breath.

"So help me, Danny, if you ever do anything like that again and I'll shoot you myself." Jack stood nearby, bent over, resting his hands on his knees, gasping for air. "You add one more gray hair to my head and I'll shave you bald. You can be Teal'c's twin."

Daniel leaned against the tree, panting. He took off his glasses and swiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm. "Sorry, Jack. I didn't think. I just knew I had to get to her before they did." Daniel gestured vaguely toward the retreating death gliders.

Sam dropped down next to Chandani, dug out her first aid kit and began cleaning her face. Chandani allowed the ministrations, but was clearly upset. "Thank you for coming to rescue me, but you must never, never use violence to help me. Even if it means my death. It is forbidden for my people to use violence against any other living being."

She looked pointedly at Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, and Jack, one after another to make sure her words registered. She gracefully rose from the ground, once again every inch the priestess. She looked down at Daniel.

"I thank you for your help. This type of attack is frequent, but they never destroy the buildings. I think they only mean to scare the people. Sometimes they come to the village about 20 kilometers from here and take some people as slaves."

She paused, taking a deep breath. "They force my people to work in the mines until they die from abuse and starvation. That is why I need you to help me. When the Three Stars are united, Vishnu will protect us from the evil goddess. He will not protect us if violence is used. No killing, no shooting, no violence. Ever!"

"I'll do what I must to protect my people." Jack had recovered his breath. "If that means killing…well, I've done it before."

"You may do what you feel necessary to protect your people, Colonel Jack O'Neill, but do not use violence to protect me." Chandani drew herself up to her full 5'3" height to glare the colonel down.

"We need to get back to camp and then to the gate." Jack turned to leave, knowing that his team would follow without having to order them.

They quickly covered the distance to the camp, only to find that the gliders had paid a short visit. Several blasts from the gliders had completely destroyed the equipment they had packed.

They poked around for a few minutes, checking for anything salvageable. Jack turned to the group, "Let's head for the gate. Hammond's expecting us in a couple of hours."

O'Neill took point, followed by Sam, Chandani, Daniel, and Teal'c. Daniel decided this would be a good time to get to discover a little more about the beautiful Guardian of Asara.

Pushing his dark glasses back up his nose, Daniel took a couple of quick steps to catch up to Chandani. "How long have you been the priestess at the temple?"

"I have lived at the temple since my birth. My mother was priestess before me, as was her mother and on back for three thousand years. I became the priestess last year, when I came of age and my mother was allowed to leave. The women in my family do not marry, but a mate is picked by Vishnu to father the next priestess. After they leave the temple, they may marry." Chandani flung the hair out of her face. "Soon, it will be my turn to become mother to the next priestess."

Daniel swallowed strongly before asking the next question. "How do you choose the father? I mean, if your people all have brown eyes, how do you pick someone who will father a blue-eyed child? What happens if the child is a boy?"

Chandani slowed her pace and turned her head toward Daniel. "There has never been a boy child born to a priestess – only one girl to each. And I told you, Vishnu will pick the father of my child."

"How will you know who?"

"Vishnu will come to me in a dream and tell me. It has always been so."

Daniel decided that it was time to take this conversation off in a different direction.

"Your title is Guardian of Asara. What does that mean?"

Chandani picked up her pace in an attempt to narrow the distance between her and Major Carter. "Asara is the name of the temple. It means hope – I am the Guardian of Hope. My people's only hope for freedom from the goddess Kali is to return the Three Stars to the temple."

"How are we going to find the stars? Do you have any idea where they are?" Daniel was hoping she had some books or other writings that could help.

"Vishnu will guide us." Chandani spoke with the confidence of one whose faith is unshakable.

Jack halted the group as he saw they were approaching the gate. He wanted to be sure that there were no Jaffa waiting in ambush. The four others fell into complete silence as they scanned the area for signs of enemies. Seeing nothing suspicious, Jack ordered Daniel to dial home, while at the same time the others moved toward the gate.

Daniel sprinted to the DHD, while O'Neill continued scanning the area for trouble. He found it.

Just as Daniel pushed the first key in the sequence, a staff blast hit the ground by his feet. He ducked down as far as he could, still dialing. Teal'c immediately began returning fire as Jack moved quickly to protect Daniel and Sam positioned herself in front of Chandani.

"Teal'c! Only one Jaffa?"

"I detect only one, O'Neill!" Teal'c continued firing in the direction of the blasts, but their attacker maintained the harassment.

The gate whooshed open, Daniel sent their code through, and Sam pulled Chandani toward the event horizon. One final blast came from the jungle and hit the priestess just as she was vanishing through the gate. Jack continued protective cover fire while Daniel and Teal'c jumped through to safety. Jack ran up the stairs and through the safety of the gate, firing toward the jungle behind him.

As Jack stumbled backwards onto the metal ramp, he yelled, "Close the iris!" He turned to face his team, already waiting at the bottom of the ramp. He found them surrounding a prone priestess, Sam checking her pulse.

Hammond came rushing into the gate room yelling, "Are you OK? What the hell happened?" _Don't I ask that every time SG1 comes home?_

Janet came in, losing no time in reaching the injured woman on the floor. "Let's get her to the infirmary." Janet's medics placed Chandani on the gurney and dashed off, Janet running along side checking vital signs as they went.

Hammond turned back to the team as Jack gave a quick overview of the mission. "Briefing room in one hour." Hammond climbed the stairs back to his office muttering under his breath about injury prone teams.

"Let's hit the showers, then the infirmary," Jack handed his weapon to a waiting airman.


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

Chapter 3 

Immediately after the briefing, SG1 returned to the infirmary to check on the patient. Janet found them surrounding Chandani's bed. She pulled them to one side to give an update on her condition.

"She was hit just inside her hip bone, on the right side. She's sustained some serious damage to her reproductive organs – her right ovary and uterus. We had to remove that ovary and may eventually have to remove her uterus." Janet paused to rub her eyes.

"She also received damage to the femoral artery that runs through the pelvic area to her leg. She lost a lot of blood and has received two units of blood so far, and will need more. We removed her appendix and a portion of her small intestine that was severely damaged. She's in critical condition at this point and it could go either way for her." Janet looked each of them in the eye.

"If she survives the next 48 hours, she should be out of immediate danger, assuming infection doesn't set it. It's not looking good, folks. I'll be keeping her heavily sedated for the next couple of days, so I doubt she'll even wake up, but you can set a rotation watch after that if you'd like." Janet knew her friends well enough to know one of them would want to be here when she woke up.

"Janet, let me see if I can get a hold of my dad. He, or one of the other Tok'ra, might be able to help her," Sam offered.

Janet nodded her acceptance, patted Sam on the arm in sympathy, and returned to her office. Jack, Sam, and Teal'c turned to leave. Daniel pulled a chair up to her bed. "I'm staying. She shouldn't be left alone."

Jack placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder, "You can't stay here for two days. Go get some sleep. She's not going anywhere."

"I can't leave her alone. I'll be fine." Daniel slid the chair closer to Chandani and laid his hand over hers.

"Come on, sir. You know you can't change his mind." Sam gave a little tug to Jack's sleeve and the three team mates left.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Unscheduled gate activation! Unscheduled gate activation!" Walter's voice could be heard clearly over the sound of the klaxons.

General Hammond left his office to stand behind Sgt. Harriman in the control room. "An idea who it is, Sergeant?"

"I'm getting a code…it's the Tok'ra, sir."

"Get Major Carter in here. It might be her father." Hammond instructed the sergeant.

Sam came jogging into the gate room just as her father stepped off the ramp onto the cement floor.

"Hi, Dad." Sam leaned over to receive a hug and kiss from her father.

"Hello, Sam. What's up?" Jacob slipped his arm down from his daughter's shoulder to her waist as they began walking out of the gate room.

"We brought back a young woman with us who was critically injured by a staff blast. I was hoping maybe you could help. Janet can fill you in on the details." Sam led her father to the infirmary.

As they entered the room, Jacob slipped off to the side to get the details from Janet, while Sam continued on toward Chandani's bed.

Daniel was still there, after twenty-four hours. Sam knew he'd only left her bedside to make quick trips to the head or to walk out the kinks from sitting so long. Chandani's hand was covered by Daniel's as both slept – Daniel slumped over, leaning on the bed.

"Daniel," Sam shook his shoulder gently and whispered in his ear. "Wake up. My dad's here to help."

Daniel straightened slowly, stretching out his stiff muscles. Blinking repeatedly, he brought his glasses down from the top of his head. Daniel turned to see Jacob and Janet walking toward the bed. He moved his chair away to allow Jacob better access to Chandani.

Jacob spread his legs to steady his stance and began moving the glowing healing device slowly over Chandani's lower abdomen.

Several minutes passed and sweat beads appeared on Jacob's forehead. He finally dropped his hand to his side, visibly weakened. "I've done all I can. She should live, but I'm not sure about her ability to have children." Turning to Sam he said, "I can stay for a while. Want a visit from your old man?"

"Always glad to have you, Dad." Sam flashed a genuine grin, reflecting her pleasure in spending time with her father.

Janet scanned the monitors quickly. "Her vital signs have improved quite a bit. Blood pressure's back up to almost normal. Pulse is steady. Your father helped her a lot." Janet faced Sam. "I was concerned she might not make it, now we just have to watch out for infection, but I think she'll recover nicely." Janet turned to Daniel.

"Daniel, you need to go get a shower, something to eat, and sleep in a bed for at least six hours. She's too drugged to wake up for another day anyway." Janet shook her finger in Daniel's face as he opened his mouth to protest. "Don't come back for at least eight hours. I'll make it an order if I have to."

"I'm not military! You can't 'order' me, Janet," using her first name for emphasis. "I can't leave her alone." Daniel's face was pale with exhaustion and lack of food.

"I'll stay," Sam offered. "I'll get Teal'c to take turns. They'll be someone with her until you return. Now go!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Daniel dragged himself away from Chandani's bed, trying to decide which he needed most: sleep, food, or shower. Deciding on sleep, he pointed his feet to his quarters, hoping they knew the way without his brain engaging.

He opened his door and the only thing he could see was his bed; calling him. Loudly. He shuffled over, set his alarm for six hours and tumbled, face-down, into bed.

Six hours later, Daniel was awakened by the most irritating sound in the world – the buzzing of an alarm clock. He lifted his arm up and smacked the noise off. Rolling over onto his back – he apparently hadn't moved in six hours – he threw his arm over his eyes and moaned.

"Chandani!" Daniel bolted up as he remembered why he'd set the alarm. He got up, gathered some clean clothes and headed for the showers. As he sat on the wooden bench in the locker room removing his shoes, he began to wonder why he was so preoccupied with that woman. _She is beautiful, but beauty alone has never been enough for me to maintain an attraction to a woman. _Daniel smiled to himself and was reminded of Sha're. She had been beautiful, but he knew that it was her strength, her passion, and her innocence that had captured his heart. Wandering toward the shower stalls, Daniel adjusted the temperature of the water and tried to relax, knowing full well how difficult it would be while Chandani was lying in an infirmary bed, and he was powerless to help. _She is so confident – you could see it in the way she walked towards us in the temple. And she'll do whatever it takes to help her people._ Daniel was worried for the millionth time that day – how was he supposed to tell Chandani that her chance of carrying a child was almost zero?

Twenty minutes later, Daniel was showered, dressed and heading for the commissary to fill the final third part of Janet's order – food. He hadn't eaten in almost 24 hours, and he was looking forward to commissary food! _I must be starving if the thought of commissary food makes me salivate!_

Choosing a salad, some kind of slightly grey meat, soggy, overcooked veggies, a slice of lemon cake, and coffee, Daniel headed to a table occupied only by Teal'c.

"Please, sit down, DanielJackson," Teal'c welcomed his friend as he pointed to the empty chair across from him.

"Have you heard anything about Chandani lately, Teal'c? Janet won't let me back into the infirmary for…" Daniel looked down at his watch, "…another 48 minutes."

"Her condition remains unchanged, DanielJackson." Teal'c dark, unfathomable eyes met Daniel's clear blue ones.

"I wonder if that's good or bad? Oh, well, I'll ask Janet when I can go back in…" Daniel glanced at his wrist, "…47 minutes. You know, I've been thinking about what she told us back on P5N-327, about the Three Stars? I wonder if the mythology of ancient India could give us a hint about where the stars might be." Daniel looked at his fork, filled with an indescribable chunk of grey mass. Scrunching his nose in disgust, he dropped his fork back onto his plate. "I think I'll stop by my lab and see if I can find a reference book to look at while I sit with our priestess."

Teal'c simply inclined his head slightly. Daniel pushed his tray aside - grey food had killed his appetite - and leaned forward toward his large friend.

"Teal'c, you've know me for a few years now. Knowing me, why do you think I've become so preoccupied with Chandani? I mean, well…, I've been attracted to other beautiful women, but not like this. It's almost," Daniel lowered his head and played with his uneaten food, his voice almost unheard by his friend, "like when I first met Sha're." Daniel looked back at Teal'c. "I've become more than preoccupied. It's more like I'm obsessed."

Teal'c learned foreword closing the space between the two men. "You are a person of great passion, DanielJackson. When you work, there is nothing else. When you have a righteous cause, there is nothing else. When you offer your friendship, nothing stops you from doing everything within your ability to insure the happiness and well-being of your friends." Teal'c learned forward just a little more. "When you love, you give yourself completely. You do everything within your power to bring about the protection and happiness of those you love. The priestess has given you and Major Carter a great task to perform. You are the Chosen, who will save her planet and her people. You are a man who will not allow anything else to come between you and your mission. You are a man of great integrity, DanielJackson. That is why I am honored to call you my friend." Daniel sat still for a moment, blinking silently at this great man, who himself has been a pillar of strength and courage.

"Thank you, Teal'c. That means more to me than you will ever know." Daniel offered his friend a small smile. "I'm going to make my way over to relieve Sam. See you later?"

"Indeed you shall, DanielJackson."

* * *

AN: I know this update has taken a while, but both real life (work!) and writer's block have raised their uggly heads. I've already written a first draft of the last few chapters, but the middle is giving me problems. Fortunately, my beta, Verb, is helping quite a bit - not only with an unending supply of commas, but some great suggestions for the direction of this story. As always, please R&R. 


	4. Chapter 4

Daniel sat by her bed, head in hands, waiting. _What am I waiting for? What am I expecting from her? Why am I doing this? _Frustrated with his confused emotions and frustrated with inaction, Daniel stood; ready to leave when he noticed that her breathing had changed.

As he turned back toward her bed, she weakly reached out for him. "It's you. You are to be the one."

"Yes, I know. You already told me that I'm one of the Chosen Ones." Some of Daniel's frustration was detectable in his tone of voice.

"No. Yes, you are a Chosen One, but you also have been chosen to become the father to the next Guardian of Asara. Vishnu has come to me." Chandani's voice was muted from pain and weakness, but her conviction was strong.

Daniel was stunned. There was no way he would willingly father a child he couldn't raise. He knew that Chandani's child was destined to be raised by her, alone, in the temple.

"Look, let me get Dr. Fraiser. She'll need to see you now that you're awake." Daniel left to get Janet, glad to escape the priestess's knowing eyes.

XXXXXXXXXX

That afternoon, Sam found Daniel working in his lab on the notes he'd brought back from the Temple of Asara.

"Daniel, I thought I'd find you in the infirmary with Chandani. She's awake." Sam's curious eyes searched Daniel's face for evidence of trouble. It was completely unlike him to not hover over an injured friend.

"Yeah. I was there when she woke up. Haven't been back. Been busy." Daniel gave Sam a quick glance, and then returned his attention to his notes, hoping she'd get the hint and leave.

"Janet says she should be able to leave the infirmary in a couple of days. I'm working on getting her quarters here on base. She'll probably have to stay for a few weeks until Janet's sure about her recovery." Sam walked closer to Daniel, looking over his shoulder at his notes. "Find anything interesting?"

"Maybe. I have an idea about where we might find clues to the missing stars." Turning toward Sam, Daniel put his hand on her arm. "Sam, I'm glad to hear Chandani's doing better, but I was there when she woke up and that's all I wanted. For her not to wake up alone in a strange place. I'll go see her tomorrow, when she's a little better."

"OK. Whatever you say." Sam remained unconvinced that Daniel knew what he was feeling.

Watching Sam leave, Daniel's shoulders slumped a little. He did not want to face Chandani after what she had said this morning. There was no way he would ever father a child and leave it to grow up without him.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning found Daniel walking quickly toward the infirmary. Head down, fists shoved in his pockets, he figured he might as well get this over with.

Janet was just leaving Chandani's bed when she looked up to see a sulky Daniel entering the infirmary. Her eyebrows rose a bit as she wondered what was up with him. Daniel was usually much cheerier when he visited injured or sick friends.

"Janet. How's she doing today?" Now that he was here, he tried to delay speaking to her as long as possible.

"Much better. We did some tests yesterday afternoon and it looks like Jacob was able to completely reverse the damage done to her arteries and digestive system. We won't know about her ability to have children until she actually tries." Janet shifted her weight to one foot as she studied her second most frequent patient – Siler had Daniel beaten for sheer number of injuries.

Daniel frowned and nodded at Janet. "You know it's her responsibility to become the mother to the next priestess. I don't know what would happen to her or the temple if she can't. Have you told her yet?"

"No, I wanted to wait until I was sure before I said anything. We'll do everything we can before she leaves, but the ability to become pregnant is very complicated and we'll never know for sure until she tries to have a baby."

"I think she has a right to know now." Daniel folded his arms across his chest and looked down at his shoes. "I'll tell her. You can fill her in on the medical details later."

Janet nodded and gave Daniel a slight squeeze on the shoulder and headed for her office.

Chandani was sitting up when Daniel finally approached her bed. She raised her knowing blue eyes to meet his as he stood next to her.

"How are you feeling today?" Daniel's voice was neutral and cautious.

Chandani sat up a little straighter. This was not the friendly, open man she had met before. He had closed himself off, protecting himself from her.

"I am feeling much better. Dr. Fraiser says I should be able to leave day after tomorrow." Chandani chewed on her lip wondering how she could pierce the wall he had suddenly raised between the two of them. "I am sorry if my statement yesterday has concerned you. I had just awakened and was still quite drugged. I never should have blurted something like that out. Please, accept my apology." She held her hand out to him.

Daniel took her hand in his and gave it a small squeeze. "I have to admit you really scared me. To be told that I'm going to father a child with a woman I've just met, was more than a little scary." Daniel was feeling much better now, believing the vision to be a drug induced hallucination.

Daniel slid a nearby chair closer to her bedside and sat. He pulled off his glasses and pinched his nose, pondering how he was going to approach this personal subject with her.

"Chandani, Dr. Fraiser has told me that she expects that you will make an almost complete recovery from this injury. However, " Daniel closed his eyes briefly and sighed, "she's not sure you'll ever be able to have a child."

Chandani just blinked at him and he thought she hadn't understood what he'd said.

"Do you understand what I've said? You may not be the mother to the next priestess."

"I heard. I do not believe. Vishnu will find a way. It is what I must do as the priestess. He would never have chosen me if I could not fulfill my duties." Chandani studied this man she believed would father her child. He was a good choice and she began to look forward to conceiving their child. "We will have a beautiful daughter."

"Well, we'll see." Daniel saw that she was getting tired and didn't want to put any more stress on her by refusing again.

"Thank you for coming, but I am tired now." Chandani pulled her hand from Daniel's and turned away from him. _I must be more careful what I say to this man. He is very perceptive and I need his cooperation. Mother did always say that my mouth would get me in serious trouble._ With a sigh, she drifted off to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

Several days later, SG1, Jacob, and Chandani were waiting in the briefing room for General Hammond. Daniel was eager to present his ideas on where they might find clues to the whereabouts of the three stars.

Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill stood when the general entered the room. "At ease people. Be seated. Now what information do you have for me?"

"Well, General, Chandani showed Sam and I around the temple the last afternoon we were there and we were both able to get quite a bit of raw data that we have since had time to analyze." Daniel waved toward Sam. "Major Carter and I think that the Three Stars may be a power source for a planetary shield. I believe that the objects the statue of Vishnu holds are clues as to where the Three Stars are hidden. We'd like permission to go back as soon as Chandani is well enough and begin searching. If this is a shield system, it might be something we could adapt here on Earth."

"Miss Prema, is there anything you can tell us about how the Three Stars disappeared?" General Hammond's southern manners and soft voice were evident as he spoke to the petite woman.

"The line of priestesses, my mothers, goes back at least three thousand years. We are told that the goa'uld goddess Kali took our people from a beautiful garden planet and moved us to where we are now." She stood and began pacing around the conference table – sitting was still uncomfortable. "She enslaved our people for a thousand years, until Vishnu brought us the Three Stars and gave my ancestress directions on maintaining the stars and the statue. We were safe and happy for another thousand years until one of Kali's minions took the Three Stars from the temple and hid them around the planet. That was one thousand years ago."

Looking at Sam and Daniel, she continued, "It has since been the duty of the priestess to continue to wait for the Chosen Ones to come. Dr. Jackson and Major Carter, along withmyself, are the Chosen Ones. Only we can find and unite the Three Stars and prevent Kali from enslaving my people any longer."

"I see. Colonel O'Neill, just how do you propose your team does this?" General Hammond asked as his fingers tapped the table in thought.

"Sir, I would like to split into three groups. Major Carter and her father, who has volunteered to help, will be one team. Teal'c and Chandani another, and Daniel and I the third. That gives each 'Chosen One' a guard and by breaking up we can find them faster."

"Does everyone agree?" Hammond glanced at each person around the table in turn, looking for disagreement. "Yes? You leave as soon as Dr. Fraiser releases the priestess." He stood. "Dismissed."

XXXXXXXXXX

Sam and Daniel made good use of the next three weeks of Chandani's recovery for their research. Daniel had a pretty good idea about where to find clues to the missing blue diamonds and Sam had been investigating any possible uses of shield technology, from personal to planetary.

Chandani spent the time planning how she could approach Daniel. They would be separated during the mission on her planet and she needed to earn his trust. It had been a serious mistake to inform him of his role as father to her child, but the men on her planet would have been honored to become the father to the next priestess and she didn't understand his reluctance.

She kept her distance from Daniel, always watching him.

* * *

A/N: This chapter is really just a set-up for the action to come, not as interesting, but necessary. 


	5. Chapter 5

Daniel tugged his hat down farther to block the sun. Sansara, Chandani's planet, was tropical – hot and humid. Humid meant insects. Nasty, annoying, creatures who usually spent their time buzzing around his face, driving him nuts. He'd give anything for a good, old desert planet right about now.

He glanced behind him to see Chandani walking, side-by-side with Sam, holding a quiet conversation. She seemed so small and delicate in the BDU's, especially beside the statuesque major. It would be good to see her in her native saris again.

He thought back to their last conversation alone, weeks ago in the infirmary. She had avoided him since that time. Maybe she was convinced she had made a mistake in naming him the future father of her child. He would have to watch her and see if her demeanor toward him had really changed or if she was just setting him up. Daniel had a hard time trusting women who were sexually aggressive towards him. It seemed to him that they always wanted something more from him than just sex. Shyla had wanted him to stay and marry her. Hathor used him as a means to produce goa'uld larva specifically to turn humans into Jaffa. He shivered with revulsion at the memory.

"We should be at the temple in another 30 minutes." Jack swallowed a mouthful of water as he continued to march. "We'll make camp at the edge of the jungle just in front of the temple. That way we can scatter into safety if the goa'uld show up again."

As usual, Jack was correct about the time it took to get to the temple. Dusk was just falling, but the temperature was still up. It wouldn't cool off much during the night with all the moisture in the air. Daniel patted his jacket pocket, checking for the allergy medication Janet had given him. Good, it was there. Without that he would become totally miserable on this vegetation-gone-wild planet.

Chandani returned to her rooms in the temple. She had been gone for over three weeks and needed to check on the temple. She called her servants and instructed them to prepare a bath and set out her clothing. The BDU's may be practical for soldiering and hiking, but her sari was soft and lightweight. Perfect for the muggy climate.

After the camp was set up, Daniel and Sam gave Jack a run-down on what they intended to do tomorrow. Daniel had a pretty good idea that the statue itself held the clues they needed to find the Three Stars.

XXXXXXXXXX

"OK, let's take this one Star at a time." Daniel and the group were set up in the temple around the statue. "If we look at what he's holding in each hand, I believe that will help us find the Three Stars. "The Sudarshan is the 'wheel of life' that Vishnu uses to protect. I think that represents the force shield that protects the planet when the Three Stars are in the halo."

Moving to the next hand, Daniel continued, "The Panchajanya is the conch shell, which represents the creation of life. I believe this represents the Star of Knowledge, the Medha Rohini. Sam, this is the one Chandani said that you need to find." Turning to the priestess, Daniel asked, "Is there any place on this planet that your sacred texts describe as the origin of the waters of creation?"

Gazing into Daniel's eyes, Chandani was lost in thought. Suddenly, she began walking toward the western wall of the temple. "Here," she pointed. "This writing gives directions to such a place. It is the head of the Dharmika River, deep in the jungle. There is a waterfall that is said to be the place from which all life flows. But no one has ever been able to find it. Many have tried, but none have returned."

Sam turned from the wall to face Colonel O'Neill. "Sir, maybe we can get the general to send us a UAV to fly over the area. It might help locate the head of the river."

"Daniel, do you think all the Stars are on this planet?" Jack removed his baseball cap, squeezed the bill, and placed it backward on his head.

"I think that's entirely possible."

"Just yes or no, Daniel."

"Um, yes. All indications…"

"Atch," Jack cut off the beginning of Daniel's long explanation with a wave of his finger. "Teal'c and I will hike back to the gate and ask Hammond for a UAV. We should be able to use it several times to locate the other places where the Stars might be hidden. We'll be back by dinner tonight. Meanwhile, you three work on the locations of the other two stars." Jack nodded to Teal'c and the two men left the temple to begin the hike back to the gate.

By the time O'Neill and Teal'c had returned from the gate early that evening, Daniel narrowed the search using the inscriptions on the walls of the temple.

XXXXXXXXXX

That evening, Daniel organized the three teams. Sam and her dad would look for a waterfall at the head of the Dharmika River. They would use the UAV in the morning to find the head and estimate the distance. Chandani believed it to be a two day hike. Their radios worked for quite a distance, but Jack wanted to be sure he could maintain contact at all times.

Chandani and Teal'c were to search where local legend located the original lotus flower on the planet. Chandani said it was a two-day walk from the temple.

Daniel and Jack would look for his star within the ruins of an ancient fort, about a day's hike. They were all to meet back at the temple in five days, enough time for each team to retrieve their star.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, the three teams set off in separate directions. The UAV had confirmed Chandani's information about the distance to the waterfall and had found the ruins Daniel needed within about a day-and-a-half walk. Each team gathered their equipment and set off.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, Daniel, what do you think about our lovely priestess?" Jack was bored already and teasing Daniel was always good for a few moments of diversion.

"She's OK." Daniel knew this game well and he wasn't going to be bated.

"She sure seems to have the hots for you. Notice how she's always watching you? Checking out your bod?" Jack's smirk spread across his face in anticipation of Daniel's embarrassed reaction.

"No, Jack. Actually she's pretty much been ignoring me since she got out of the infirmary." Daniel felt confident that would wipe the smirk off Jack's face.

"Really? She seemed pretty hot for you before. I guess a near-death experience can really change a person's idea of who's sexy and who's not. Think she'd prefer a distinguished colonel?"

"You mean an old guy with bad knees and grey hair?" Now it was Daniel's turn to smirk behind Jack's back.

"Keep walking, Daniel. We've got a long hike ahead." This conversation had not turned out the way Jack planned at all.

_Yeah, that shut him up._ Daniel settled into a steady stride.

They reached the ruins about noon the next day, quicker than expected, and Daniel set about poking through the rubble, while Jack set up camp and walked the perimeter.

"Boy, Danny. When they said ruins they weren't kidding. Pretty much a pile of rocks." Jack hoped Daniel could find the blue diamond quickly. He seriously wanted – no needed - a long, cool shower. Three days hiking in the jungle was enough to make a man really hot and stinky.

"Yeah, this may make it harder. Jack, maybe you could help. I'm looking for a mace like this." Daniel flipped through his notes until he came to a sketch he had made from the mace held by the statue Vishnu in Chandani's temple. "It might be a statue, a metal object, a carved relief, anything."

Jack studied the sketch, nodded his head, and set off to begin searching the far side of the ruins.

Just before dusk, Jack called out, "Hey, Danny! I think I found something."

Daniel scurried over the rubble to where Jack squatted. He peered over Jack's shoulder and saw what appeared to be a carved, metal handle poking out from beneath a fallen pillar.

"Here, help me move this so I can get a better look." Daniel moved to one end of the five-foot long marble pillar and Jack to the other.

"Daniel, this would go a lot faster and be safer if we could find something to use as a lever."

"Yeah. We're in the middle of a jungle. There must be a tree branch… Here!" Daniel pointed to a six-foot long, thick branch lying off to the side.

Both men picked it up and together they wedged it under the marble pillar.

"On three. One. Two. Three." Jack and Daniel leaned with all their weight on the branch. With a groan and then a sharp snap, the pillar shifted and the branch broke, throwing the men into a heap.

Daniel jumped up and examined the metal under the pillar. They had successfully moved the marble column enough to allow Daniel to extricate the metal object.

He held up a heavily carved mace – with a blue crystal inserted on the end.

"The blue diamond?" Jack could see the fiery light dance from within the heart of the stone in the waning afternoon light.

"Jack, this is incredible!" Daniel was enthralled by the workmanship of the mace.

"I'm with ya on this one, Danny." Jack gaped open mouthed at the size of the blue stone.

They turned their heads to stare at one another, as each realized they were talking about different things.

"Jack, you're so…"

"Daniel, you're such a…"


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Many thanks to my beta, who has helped me focus, even with distractions in her life. Thanks. Next chapter may be rated, so be warned.

* * *

The three teams met back at the temple on the fifth day. All had been successful in retrieving their diamond.

That night, Jack had each group tell how they had found their diamond.

"We hiked for one day and set up camp."

Jack rolled his eyes. He knew Teal'c could easily include every frickin' detail.

"The next morning, we perceived a large body of water, which was covered in lotus blossoms. In the approximate center was a flower, much larger in diameter than any other. Chandani determined it was this flower which we sought." Teal'c leaned forward to make his next point more dramatic.

"However, the lake was also the habitat of many large reptilian beasts with a fearsome set of hard, bonelike structures rooted in sockets in the jaws of vertebrates . I ascertained that it would not be conducive to sustained good health to propel ourselves through the water. Therefore, I constructed a floatation device, by which means we were able to safely navigate to the lotus blossom." Teal'c shifted his attention around the circle, looking each camper in the eye in turn.

"We beheld a blue crystalline structure in the center of the blossom. I believed that due to the greater distance of my reach, I should be the one to retrieve the diamond. Unfortunately, upon contact with the object, I received an electrical shock of a magnitude that prevented my successful completion of the endeavor. I was forced to acquiesce to the lovely priestess," Teal'c nodded majestically at Chandani, "and she was, indeed, able to complete our mission. We then successfully returned to the temple."

Jack, Daniel, Sam, and Jacob gaped, slack-jawed, at Teal'c.

"That was the longest speech I've ever heard from you, Teal'c. And only once did you say 'indeed' ." Jack was thoroughly impressed with the Jaffa's mastery of the art of oration.

After a moment of respectful silence, Jack asked Sam and Jacob to tell their story.

"The UAV was fairly accurate. We hiked for two days along the river's edge. At dusk on the second day, we came to the base of the 100-foot waterfall. We set up camp and began the climb the next morning. It took us several hours to make the climb over steep, rocky terrain. At the top we found the source of the waterfall to be a spring." As Sam paused to take a breath, Jacob jumped in.

"The spring was about ten feet in diameter and appeared bottomless. Sam," he threw a scolding look at his daughter, "decided she would dive into the spring – alone."

Sam took over the tale again. "I found a cavern that led off from the side of the spring about fifteen feet below the surface. Dad and I," she threw a withering back to her father, "swam down, entered and found a cave filled with air. There was a statue of Kali holding this." Sam held up her third of the Three Stars.

"Sam discovered it was protected by an electrically charged force field, so she had to disrupt the field to reach the diamond." This time the look Jacob gave Sam was one of love and pride.

"And we're here." Sam threw her arm over her father's shoulder and leaned her head against his.

Jack briefly told the others how he and Daniel found their star.

"Tomorrow we head over to the temple and Chandani will insert the stars. Carter can do her science stuff and see if a force field is generated. If it is, then Carter, you'll come back later with a team of science geeks and do your thing." Jack looked around the campfire at his favorite people. "That's it. Time to hit the hay, campers."

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, the group gathered in the temple. Daniel, Sam, and Chandani each held their blue diamond. Chandani led them to the wall behind the statue, where three empty spaces awaited the Three Stars.

Daniel held up a finger in question. "Um, how do you know which diamond goes into which space?"

"I believe they should go in the same order as the objects in Vishnu's hands. Daniel, the Maqhabala Divyesh – great strength of the sun – goes on the left. Sam, the Medha Rohini, - star of intelligence – should be placed on the right. And the Chandani Prema – the star of love – goes in the center to unite the three."

"OK, I'm ready." Daniel took his position on the left.

Sam nodded and moved to the gaping hole on the right while Chandani took the center.

"When I say 'now' we shall each place our star in the space at the same time. Ready?"

Sam and Daniel nodded.

"Now."

Simultaneously, three blue diamonds slid into matching notches in the wall.

Nothing happened.

Sam began to move toward her pack to retrieve some equipment, but stopped when a deep rumble was heard beneath the temple floor.

With a shudder, the statue began to emanate a low-level hum. The Three Stars began to glow and illuminated the halo above them, giving the statue an other-worldly aspect.

Sam made a dash for her equipment to take readings.

"Carter?" Jack waited a full two minutes before losing patience.

"I'm registering a force field of unknown size. However, it is extremely large, possible enough to cover the entire planet. At least a large part of it." Sam's excitement was a source of amusement to her proud father.

"Good. Missions accomplished. Carter, you can play around with your doohickies today. We'll head home tomorrow morning."

XXXXXXXXXX

That afternoon, as Sam worked in the temple, Daniel dug out his journal to write about the mission.

Chandani stood behind Daniel, watching him and trying to decide how best to approach him. Her time had run out. It had to be tonight. Tomorrow he was leaving and would never be back. Asking for his direct participation hadn't worked. She could not understand why he was reluctant to father her child. The men on her world considered it a high privilege to sire the next priestess. She knew men found her desirable. She would have to entice him. Men were weak and would do anything for a beautiful woman.

She returned to her chamber and had her servants prepare a bath for her. She was going to use all the methods of seduction her mother had taught her. After she was bathed and dressed in a colorful, silk sari, she ordered her servants to prepare a special meal for two.

Daniel was still leaning against a tree, writing in his journal. Chandani left her tent and began walking toward Daniel.

Daniel was aware of her from the moment she left the tent. He always knew she was near by her scent; clean and fresh. He moved his eyes up from his journal, following her progress as she slowly and seductively made her way toward him. Her glistening hair swung suggestively, skimming her hips. When she knew he was observing her, she made eye contact and slowly licked her reddened lips. She hadn't made any more advances toward him since her announcement in the infirmary weeks before. He had hoped that she'd forgotten about it, but apparently not, judging by the way that she was eyeing him as if he were a chilled, juicy strawberry on a hot summer day.

Daniel slipped his pen into his journal and waited for her next move. He had come a long way from that shy geek who first went to Abydos and he was well aware that Chandani was not the sweet innocent he had first thought her to be.

Chandani watched Daniel put down his journal. She decided this was her chance to show him just how interesting she could be. Remembering all the lessons her mother had taught her, she slightly exaggerated the sway of her hips and parted her lips. He crossed his arms over his chest, stretched his legs out, and crossed his ankles, waiting for her.

_OK. All's fair in love and war and I think she just fired the first shot._ Daniel raised his left eyebrow in question as she approached him. She glanced around, looking for a clean place to sit. Daniel knew what she wanted, but refused to spread out his jacket for her. _She's on her own. I'm not helping her seduce me._

"Daniel, I would like to invite you to dine with me in an hour. My servants are preparing something refreshing for us." She fiddled with the gold pendant dangling between her breasts.

Daniel's right eyebrow joined his left and he had to bite his lower lip to keep from laughing. _Man, she's really turning it on._ "No thanks. I'll eat with my team mates later."

Her blue eyes darkened threateningly. No one had ever turned her down. _This makes things more challenging. _

"Maybe another time." She pressed the palms of her hands together in front of her breasts and bowed deeply, hoping he would take the chance to look.

"Bye." Daniel rolled his eyes at her obvious, and failed, trick. He picked up his journal and began writing again, dismissing her with his actions.

Furious, but determined not to show her emotions, Chandani used the same slow, seductive walk returning to her tent that she had used when she approached Daniel. She could almost feel the indifference emanating from him. _I will win. I always do._

XXXXXXXXXX

That evening, just after the group finished dinner, one of Chandani's servants came to Daniel. He hand the linguist a note, bowed politely and waited for Daniel's answer.

Daniel,

I wish to make apologies for my behavior. I know you are leaving in the morning and would like to meet you in the temple tonight. Please come.

Chandani.

Daniel sighed and decided he would meet her, for one last time. He nodded to the servant, who then handed him a wrapped candied orange. Daniel thanked him and popped the sweet in his mouth. _Might as well get some enjoyment from this mission._


	7. Chapter 7

**Warning M rating from now** on just to be on the safe side: rape, (not graphic), libidinous thoughts (!), and language (Jack has such a potty mouth!)

* * *

Daniel had agreed to meet Chandani in the temple. She said that she wanted to make amends for her behavior toward him. Daniel hoped she hurried. He was feeling strange and wanted to go to bed.

Thinking about the priestess brought visions of her beauty to Daniel. _. She was waiting for him on midnight blue satin sheets, holding out her arms to him as he approached her. She was wearing a thin wisp of a gown, concealing nothing, hinting at everything. He could smell her clean, fresh scent and feel her silken hair entwined in his fingers._

When he neared the bed, she rose up to meet him. She reached for his t-shirt and tugged it out of his pants. Sliding it over his head, she followed the shirt with her tongue and lapped her way up to his…

He yanked opened his eyes and shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't had a waking dream like that since he was nineteen! Breathing deeply, Daniel tried focusing on anything else. _This isn't working! I'm going to have to take a quick trip into the jungle alone and take care of this before I share a tent with Jack tonight!_

Rubbing his forehead, Daniel turned to see Chandani enter the temple from her room off to the side.

She was wearing a saffron yellow silk sari with a red border. Her bare feet and hands were painted in a blood red pattern. She no longer smelled fresh and clean, but now seductive layers of exotic scents drew him toward her.

She moved provocatively toward Daniel, reaching out for him. He was unable to leave, his feet rooted to the temple floor. He swayed gently, closing his eyes, allowing her musky scent to permeate his churning blood.

She touched him, raising his heart rate until he could hear nothing but the rush of blood from his brain to his groin. Entangling her fingers in his, she tugged him toward the entrance to her chambers. Thrown slightly off balance, his first step jarred his brain into awareness of the situation.

"No! I won't create a child with you." Daniel's brain seemed to have lost control of his body as she continued to pull him. "God, Chandani, please stop!"

"I do not understand your reluctance. You should be willing to come to my bed. The drug in the candied orange should be working by now."

"Drug? You drugged me?" Someone in Daniel's brain was screaming, "Not again!"

"Yes, so you see, there is no reason to resist. You can either come willingly and enjoy the experience, or I will call my servants to tie you down. Either way, I get what I need."

"No, no, no, no…" Daniel repeated softly as his traitorous body allowed Chandani to drag him to her room.

She pulled him through the doorway and signaled to her waiting male servants. One grabbed his wrists and pulled them over his head, while the other grasped his ankles and jerked Daniel off his feet. Hanging like a prize deer between the two large men, Daniel rolled his head from side to side, chanting, "No, no, no, no…"

Reaching her bed, the men dropped him down and shackled his wrists and ankles. He was stretched so tightly that he was unable to move. One servant then retrieved a knife from the bedside table and slit each of Daniel's pant legs from his ankle to his waist. He ripped his pants off and continued to cut the remainder of his clothes off until Daniel was completely stripped.

Daniel was aware of all that was happening, but was unable to exert any physical resistance. He continued to roll his head back and forth, murmuring, "No, no, no, no…"

When the servants had Daniel secured to Chandani's satisfaction, she dismissed them from the room.

"Daniel, this could be so much better for both of us if you'd cooperate."

By this time, the drug had completed its work and Daniel had no control over the reactions of his body. Chandani shrugged and began removing her clothing. She straddled Daniel and began her job of becoming the mother to the next priestess.

XXXXXXXXXX

Daniel awoke the next morning in his own sleeping bag. He was disoriented and sick to his stomach. _Hung over? Did I drink last night? I don't remember drinking anything, let alone enough to be hung over. Oh, god, I'm going to be sick._

Daniel managed to get his head out of the tent before he vomited. Jack was awakened by the retching noises a few feet from his head.

"Daniel, you OK?"

"No, Jack, I'm not OK. Just go away. I'll be all right in a few minutes." Daniel continued retching until he thought his toes would come up.

When the spasms passed, Jack pulled Daniel back into the tent to check him out. "You don't seem to have a fever. What happened?"

"I don't know. Last thing I remember was walking toward the temple to meet Chandani, and then waking up with an elephant dancing on my brain and snakes writhing in my stomach." Daniel lay with one arm thrown over his eyes and the other clutching his churning stomach.

"You stay here. I'll get the med kit and some aspirin for your head and something for your stomach." Jack slipped out and headed for the med kit in Sam's tent.

As Daniel's stomach settled a bit, other sensations began returning. He was aware of rawness around his ankles and wrists. He was naked. _How'd that happen? _He pulled out a fresh set of clothing and dressed quickly in the dimly lit tent, becoming aware of an urgent need to pee. He crawled out of the tent, carefully avoiding last night's dinner, and headed for the jungle where they had set up the latrine. Unzipping, he twitched with discomfort. He looked down and saw dried blood.

It began to come back.

Daniel could recall only impressions, feelings, and emotions. He remembered a physical desire for her stronger than any he'd ever experienced before. He remembered being pushed onto his back and his clothes cut off. Heat. He remembered heat. Coming from her; from him; surrounding him; pulling him down; filling him. Exploding from him.

_Oh, dear god, no!_

How could he have allowed this to happen? He was in control of his body. What kind of man was he to allow a woman to control him? Hathor had been a goa'uld and he vaguely remembered obeying her willingly. Drugs again. Shyla had addicted him to the sarcophagus and he thought he could help free his team mates from the mines if he gave her what she wanted. Neither time did he want to sleep with those women, but he'd made a choice and done so somewhat willingly.

Chandani was a small woman who had manipulated him into a situation where he lost his sense of masculinity. To be a dignified human was to be in control of his actions and his future, and she had taken that from him. He should have been able to control his reaction to her better. It was his fault that she might now be pregnant with his child.

_Oh, god, my child!_ How he and Sha're had hoped for a child of their own. They had even chosen names. Daniel had looked forward to sharing his knowledge of Earth with their children. Now, when it seemed he might finally become a father, he wouldn't be allowed to be a part his child's life.

He was humiliated by his actions and devastated that his child – his only family – would never know him. He would never hold her, rock her to sleep, or share her future.

The smell of stale sex rising from his body, usually arousing, reawakened the writhing snakes in his stomach. Dropping back to his knees, he began retching uncontrollably. His head pounded, his body trembled, and he broke out in a cold sweat. The spasms finally quieted and Daniel dropped flat to the ground. He began rolling around, pounding his head with his fists, as if trying to beat the memory of the night from his brain.

Jack found him, covered in mud murmuring, "No, no, no, no..."

"Teal'c! Come help with Daniel!"

The two men carried him back to the camp and laid him out on his sleeping bag. Jack stripped him, trying to find a source of his pain. Once he had Daniel stripped, he also saw and smelled the dried blood and body fluids.

"Daniel, what did you do last night? Who'd you have sex with? There's only Carter and Chandani."

"Raped, Jack."

"Raped?" Jack's voice rose in disbelief.

"I was raped. Again." Daniel sat up and began pulling on his clothes, deathly calm now. "I have to go wash. I'll be fine." Daniel tried to get up to go clean up.

Jack stopped him, his eyes blazing with anger at what had happened again to his younger friend. "Daniel. You can't clean up until after Doc Fraiser has looked at you. She needs physical evidence of this attack."

Daniel turned panicked eyes back to his friend. "NO! Oh, god, no, Jack! You can't let anyone know about this. Please!" Daniel pleaded with his friend.

"I have to let Fraiser know, Daniel. She's your doctor. She needs to know everything that happened so she can help." Jack left the tent, pulling Teal'c with him to pack up the camp.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: My beta's back! I'm reposting this, slightly revised, and all commas present and accounted for.

* * *

Janet turned to find Jack waiting in the doorway. She knew he was waiting for a report on Daniel. As the CO of SG1, he had every right to know exactly what was going on, physically and mentally with any one of his team members. Janet waved him into her office where they could talk in privacy. 

"How is he?"

"Physically he's fine. He has a few bruises and contusions on his wrists, ankles, and groin area. He was apparently physically restrained."

Jack's fists clenched, "That bitch!"

Janet nodded in agreement. "He's still feeling some after effects of the drug – nausea, disorientation, incomplete memory – those will eventually pass as his body metabolizes the drug. He was slightly dehydrated from vomiting, but he's hooked up to an IV with some drugs to relieve the nausea. Physically, he'll be fine in a day or two."

Jack visibly relaxed as that concern was put to rest.

"However, he's not ready yet to talk about it. Actually, part of the problem is that he doesn't remember much about what happened. It's making him feel that he may have been responsible. He's feeling out of control and until he can come to terms with that, I'm not sure I can clear him for any off world missions. Getting back to work in his office will be good for him, as soon as he's ready." Janet closed her eyes briefly, bracing herself for what was coming next. "I'm going to suggest that he see Dr. Mackenzie. He needs to talk to someone."

"He can talk to me! Mackenzie's an idiot!" Jack's frustration at not being able to "fix" Daniel bubbled to the surface.

"Jack, he won't talk to you. He needs to talk to someone who's impartial. This is one time when your friendship with him won't help." Janet put her hand on the colonel's arm, trying to calm him with the physical connection. "He feels he let you down; that he's somehow failed you. At this point in time, trying to make him open up to you will only intensify those feelings in him. Give him some space and time, Jack."

"Let me down? God, Doc, I'm the one who didn't protect him." Jack pushed the heals of his hands into his eyes and tried to make sense of a universe gone mad; a universe that could hurt Danny over and over. He took three deep calming breaths and turned back to Janet.

"Can I go see him now?"

"Sure. Remember, keep it short and impersonal. Just be a friend without being his CO for now."

Jack made his way through the infirmary toward Daniel's bed. _Ought to be a plaque dedicating this bed to him, he spends so much time in it._

Daniel heard the footsteps and knew it was Jack. He turned on his side, back to his approaching friend and curled up in a ball, hoping Jack would take the hint and go away.

Jack walked around to the far side of the bed so that Daniel was facing him. "Hey, Danny. I hear you'll be getting out of here tomorrow."

"Yeah." Daniel didn't even open his eyes; he didn't want Jack to see them. Jack could read every emotion and thought in his expression and he did not want Jack to know what he was feeling.

"Good, good. If you need anything, you know where to find me." Jack reached out and gave Daniel's shoulder a squeeze. He felt his injured friend's body tense at the touch. _Definitely not Danny-like. He craves touch from his friends._

As he started to leave, Sam and Teal'c entered to visit Daniel. Jack's eyes met Sam's and she saw worry briefly flicker over Jack's face before he shielded his feelings.

"Is Daniel OK? You look upset." Sam laid her hand on Jack's arm as she questioned him.

Briefly covering her hand with his free hand, Jack responded, "Physically, Janet says he'll be OK in a day or two, but emotionally… He's shut down. Doesn't want to talk to anyone. Janet thinks he's blaming himself."

Sam and Teal'c exchanged glances. There was a fleeting flicker of a frown on the Jaffa's face before his customary stoic mask returned.

"We'll just stop and say hello and leave."

"Indeed, I will not leave. It has been my previous experience that DanielJackson needs to be provoked into sharing his feelings."

Janet walked up to the group and heard this last remark. "Teal'c, usually you're right, but for now we need to leave him alone. Later he'll need you."

"Come on. We have to go debrief with Hammond."

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Janet stood over a sleeping Dr. Jackson, thinking how child-like he seemed while asleep. She softly ran her fingers through his hair and leaned over to awaken him. "Daniel, honey, it's time to wake up."

Daniel's unseeing eyes flew open and he pulled as far away from Janet as the side rails on the bed would allow. He clutched the blankets and pulled them over his face, shaking badly enough to rattle the metal bed. Janet jumped back in shock at his reaction to the familiar way she'd awaken him dozens of times before in the infirmary.

"Daniel, it's me, Janet. I won't touch you, but you need to calm down." Janet backed away from Daniel, hoping that putting some distance between them would help. It didn't.

"I need a nurse, now!"

Sergeant Lewis came running to Daniel's bed.

"Get me 2mg of Ativan, STAT!"

Janet waited as Daniel continued to shake his head back and forth, shouting, "No, no, no, no…" He began pounding his fists against his head.

"Hurry!" Janet shouted at her nurse.

Lewis came on the run with the syringe. Janet attempted to hold Daniel down so the nurse could administer the shot. As soon as Janet grasped his shoulders, his panic level rose several notches. He began kicking and flailing about violently.

"I need two orderlies in here, now!" Janet yelled, concerned that Daniel might injure himself before he could be sedated.

Two large, muscular men came running and the three of them were able to restrain Daniel as Nurse Lewis injected the sedative. Within a few minutes, Daniel's shaking had ceased and Janet was able to remove the blankets from his face. His hair and scrubs were soaked with sweat and his face was still red from the panic attack, but his breathing was calming down. Janet grabbed a blood pressure cuff and slipped it around his bicep. Daniel turned blurry eyes toward her and made vague gestures, attempting to push Janet away.

"It's OK, Daniel. I just need to get a few vitals to be sure the drug isn't causing you any problems." Janet efficiently ran through a few checks and was satisfied that Daniel wasn't having an acute reaction to the drug. She stayed by his bedside until he was sleeping again.

Trudging wearily back to her office, Janet prepared herself to face a most unpleasant task; it was time to call Dr. Mackenzie. This was beyond her expertise and Daniel needed help ASAP.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Beta'd and reposted with corrections.

* * *

By the afternoon when Mackenzie was scheduled to arrive at SGC, Daniel appeared under control. He remembered the panic he'd felt when Janet had touched him and the overwhelming need to escape her, but he pretended to everyone that it had just been a nightmare. A nightmare was no big deal. After all, everyone had them sometimes. Now, he had to gather up every bit of his strength to convince the psychiatrist that it was OK: he had it under control. 

"Come in, Dr. Jackson. Have a seat." Mackenzie pointed to a chair across the table from him. Daniel sat where Mackenzie indicated and nodded a hello to the psychiatrist.

"So, why are you here today?"

Daniel's eyebrows raised and his hands dropped away from his face. "Excuse me?"

"Why did Dr. Frasier feel that you needed to see me?"

Daniel glared at Mackenzie. _I was tied down and attacked, you moron!_

Daniel decided to act mildly upset, but not anxious about the attack – he couldn't bring himself to say rape. That would mean he'd have to admit that he'd completely lost control over his life.

"Oh. She said I had a panic attack this morning, which I totally don't remember. I, um, I do remember being awakened from a nightmare, but in this job we all have nightmares. It's over and I'm fine now."

Mackenzie observed Daniel's knees bouncing up and down frantically, his fingers tapping on the table, and his eyes scanning the room repeatedly. _Oh, yeah, he's fine!_

"Well, then. What brought you to the infirmary?"

"Oh, come on. Cut the crap. You've read my medical records. You know exactly why I'm here. I was attacked and sustained some minor injuries."

"Attacked? How?"

"I hardly see how that matters. Look, I was injured. I'm better. End of story." Daniel folded his arms across his chest, indicating that he was done.

"I'm glad to hear that. Do you have something you would like to discuss?"

"You're the doctor. What do you think we should talk about?"

"Whatever you want, Doctor."

"You know, this is getting irritating." Daniel shifted in his chair, pulled his glasses off, and began rubbing his eyes.

"Why don't you tell me about your last mission?"

"We came, we saw, we kicked butt, we left." _I'm spending way too much time around Jack._

"Daniel. May I call you Daniel?"

"Dr. Jackson, please."

"OK, Dr. Jackson. You said you have nightmares. Can you tell me about those?"

Daniel relaxed a little. He could talk about his nightmares without any problem – well, most of them. "Sure. Sometimes I think I'm in hell…" Daniel filled the rest of the time recounting some of his missions that had seemed like nightmares.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Dr. Fraiser, I don't see a point in pursuing therapy for him at this time." Dr. Mackenzie sat in Janet's office twenty minutes after he'd finished talking with Daniel. "He's not ready to discuss what happened, and until he is, I can't be of help. He, however, appears to be functional and I see no reason to restrict him from remaining an active member of SG1."

"Well, Doctor, I respectfully disagree with you. Daniel is highly intelligent and is quite capable of bamboozling you. I'm not a psychiatrist, but I've been his personal physician and friend for over six years, and he is not himself. I cannot, in good conscience, authorize him to go off world." Janet was in full Napoleonic mode, hands on hips, eyes flashing and drawn up to her full height she almost towered over the seated psychiatrist.

"General Hammond will have my recommendation on his desk within the hour." Dr. Mackenzie was not used to having his opinion questioned.

"He will also have mine." Janet turned and left her office, too angry to stay any longer.

XXXXXXXXXX

General Hammond had taken Janet's recommendation and allowed Daniel to return to work on base, but not off world. No one outside the infirmary, SG1, or the General knew the extent of Daniel's trauma. The rest of SGC thought he'd just received routine, minor injuries. Daniel was able to appear as if nothing serious had happened. His work was up to his usual high standards. Only his team mates recognized the hint of hysteria in his laughter or saw the lifelessness in his eyes.

The day Janet released him from the infirmary, Daniel stopped at the market on the way home and bought the ingredients for a White Russian. He intended to get good and drunk and beer wasn't going to do it fast enough. He figured the lack of taste in vodka combined with the coffee liqueur and cream would help him swallow the stuff.

He pulled into the driveway of his new house. After he had descended, the Air Force had handed him a year's back pay – apparently they considered being ascended hazardous duty, because it was enough to pay for his house outright.

He put away the groceries and popped a frozen dinner into the microwave, then set about making his first White Russian. He followed the directions he'd found on the internet and gave it a tentative taste. _Pretty good! I can drink this._ By this time his microwave had dinged, so he stood in the kitchen and ate.

Daniel took the vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream into the living room so he wouldn't have to walk back and forth to the kitchen in his quest to get drunk. He also brought a large bottle of water. He knew that if he kept hydrated, he'd have to face much less of a hangover the next day. No need to give Jack a reason to think he'd been drinking alone.

After he mixed his second drink, Daniel sank back into his couch and tried to figure out a plan. He knew he had to keep his drinking secret, but he needed to forget. When he slept he saw himself tied down and helpless, his body not his own to control. He could sleep without dreaming if he could just get drunk enough to pass out.

He had to figure out a way he could be a part of his baby's life. There was a woman out there pregnant with his child and he couldn't be there to watch it grow within the mother. He had so looked forward to seeing Sha're's belly swell with the result of his love for her. Now, someone else's belly would swell as the result of violence that he'd been too weak to resist.

He had yearned to see Sha're's abdomen roll and bounce as their child moved and grew within her. He wanted to hold her and encourage her through the work and pain of childbirth; to be the first person to hold his child, to place their squirming baby into Sha're's arms and watch as their child nestled into her embrace, nursing at her breast.

Now, someone had stolen those dreams away. His child was not going to know her father or the love he had to give her.

As Daniel continued to drink, he formed an idea, which grew into a plan. By the time the bottle was empty and he passed out, he felt he had some control over his life again.


	10. Chapter 10

Daniel appeared to function normally. No one knew that he went home and got blitzed three or four nights a week. The rest of the nights he spent in his office, working until he dropped from exhaustion at his desk. He worked hard or got drunk to keep himself numb so he wouldn't feel or have time to think about what had happened - about what was missing from his life. He distanced himself from his team – stopped meeting them for lunch or seeing any of them after work.

Jack had been extremely patient with Daniel, but enough was enough. Daniel had spent the past six months avoiding Jack and the team, other than at work and in the field. Hammond had allowed him back on active duty after two months when Daniel had seemed alright.

Jack missed Daniel's company more than he could admit to anyone – more than he could admit to himself. There was an archeologist-sized hole in his life and he wanted things back to normal.

Jack had spent years after Sha're had disappeared opening Daniel up enough to allow a deep friendship to develop. Daniel had never had a long-term friendship before. He'd been moved around so much from one foster home to another, that he'd never learned how to be a friend. He was also so much younger that his classmates, both in high school and college, that he'd always been ignored – unless they needed help with school work. Sha're and the Abydonians had been the first people to give him a sense of belonging and stability. After Sha're had been taken as a host, Daniel hadn't known how to develop or maintain a friendship. Jack had been there to teach him.

Now Daniel had withdrawn and Jack was pissed off. He wasn't about to let him disappear into himself again. Not this time!

So, one Tuesday night Jack found himself ringing Daniel's doorbell. It took a few minutes for Daniel to open the door and when he did, Jack was face to face with a very inebriated archeologist. Daniel was barely able to stand and Jack wasn't sure how he'd managed to walk to the door and mustered up the dexterity to actually open it.

Daniel just stared at Jack, not speaking, wobbling on his feet. His eyes were bloodshot and unfocused; food dribbled down the front of his shirt. He wasn't the happy, silly drunk Jack had seen at team nights. This was a man beyond hope. Jack gently moved his friend aside and entered the house.

The place was trashed. There were dozens of vodka and liqueur bottles strewn about the room. Partially eaten, rotting food on the coffee table, on the floor by the couch, on the mantle. The smell was overwhelming. It smelled worse than the first car Jack had when he was a kid. His buddy, Eric, had thrown up in it one night after partying and the smell forever lingered. Jack was horrified. Daniel had never been neat, but he had always been clean.

Daniel had somehow managed to pick his way through the mess back to the couch without falling, where he picked up his unwashed glass and continued drinking.

Jack was too dazed to move. He finally snapped out of it and dug out his cell phone. Punching in speed-dial number two, he waited impatiently for Sam to pick up.

"Hello, sir."

"I'm at Daniel's. Pick up Teal'c and get over here right now. That's an order, Major!"

"God! Has something happened to Daniel?" Thinking out loud, Sam continued, "No, if he was sick or hurt you'd call Janet. What's wrong?"

"Just get here. Bring trash bags and cleaning stuff – LOTS of cleaning stuff." Jack flipped his phone closed and crammed it back into his pocket.

Daniel had slumped back onto the couch with his head down on his chest. He was pretending that Jack wasn't here. _Maybe if I wish hard enough he'll go away._ Daniel tried wiggling his nose like Samantha used to on Bewitched. _Shit, didn't work._

Jack yanked Daniel up by the collar and dragged him back to his bathroom. He turned the cold water on in the shower and shoved the fully dressed drunk under the freezing stream, holding him there while he struggled to get away. Jack was cold with rage. It was obvious that this was a long standing habit and not just a one-night whim. He was furious with himself for not noticing that Daniel was in serious danger. _How had the man functioned? How much of a shit-head was I not to notice? What am I going to do to bring him out of this? How much emotional pain is he going to have to go through in his life? Oh, god. He literally saved me from committing suicide on Abydos years ago and I'm not letting him take the coward's way out!_

Jack heard Sam call out as she and Teal'c came through the still opened front door. "Carter, I'm back, here sobering up the local village idiot."

Sam poked her head into the bathroom. Seeing that Daniel was still fully dressed, she stepped all the way in and gasped in shock. She thought the living room was disgusting. There was old evidence that Daniel hadn't always made it to the toilet to throw up after a drinking bout. Dirty clothes were deposited about the tiny room until there wasn't any floor space to be seen. It was clear he hadn't cleaned the room in weeks, possibly months.

Sam looked at Jack's furious face and knew that he was blaming himself for Daniel's state. Tears began to trail down her face as it became clear to her just how much damage Daniel had done to himself. Shaken, she leaned against the doorframe for support.

"This is our beloved and highly educated friend, Daniel Jackson, multiple Ph.D." Jack's sarcastic tone changed to one of despair. "God, Sam, how did I let this happen to him?"

Tears freely running now, Sam managed to choke out, "How could all three of us have missed what he's been doing to himself?"

Sam slid down the doorframe until she was huddled on the floor sobbing deeply. Jack turned off the water and let Daniel slide down until he was lying in the tub, fully clothed, soaking wet, shivering and hovering between sentience and oblivion. Jack moved over to Sam and gathered her in his arms, allowing her to weep out her fear and sorrow.

Teal'c came to the bathroom and took in the scene before him. Jack looked up to see a tear trickling from the corner of one large, soulful eye. "I will change the sheets on his bed. The stench emanating from them is not conducive to rejuvenating slumber."

Sam began to regain control and separated reluctantly from Jack. He slowly released his arms from around her, regretting the loss of warmth and comfort from her body against his.

"Sir, I'll start on the living room. You get Daniel squared away and into bed. Then I think that the three of us need to talk about what should be done."

Jack simply nodded. He knew that if he tried to speak, he'd lose it and break down. He needed to be the strong one to keep the team functioning.

Several hours later, the three had managed to gather the trash and dirty laundry from around the house. Jack said he would call his cleaning service to come finish the cleaning and shampoo the smelly carpets.

"I think it's clear that we can't leave him alone at all. Someone has to be with him at all times." Jack sat on the edge of the couch with his head buried in his hands.

"I will be most delighted to assist DanielJackson by staying here." Teal'c immediately volunteered.

"Thanks, Teal'c. Carter, tomorrow you talk to Janet about what's been happening. Also, go to Hammond and let him know that Teal'c, Daniel, and I will be late. We're not scheduled for a mission for a few days, so we can be late for once. Teal'c, you and I need to talk to Daniel in the morning and see if we can figure out what's going on with him. God, what a mess." Jack slumped back on the couch and ran his hands over his face.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Daniel was up at the usual time to get ready for work. As he got up to get clean clothes, he noticed the room was neater than he'd remember. _Must have cleaned up last night. Good for me! Don't want to be a drunk and a slob. _

Jack and Teal'c heard Daniel moving around in the bedroom. Teal'c went in to start coffee while Jack headed for Daniel's room.

"Hey, Danny," Jack pushed open the bedroom door to find his friend rummaging through his dresser.

"Jack! What are you doing here so early?"

"Been here all night. We cleaned up your place."

"We? Sam and Teal'c are here?" Daniel's shocked face paled as he realized that they had seen how he'd been living.

"Yes, Sam was and Teal'c still is here. Daniel, we need to talk when you're dressed." With that, Jack left the room.

Daniel stood, frozen. _OK, new plan. I've only got a few months to get through and I need to hide this from Jack. Keep calm, Jackson. You're smart. You can get through this. I've got to stay on the team. Everything depends upon it._

After Daniel dressed, he reluctantly headed out to the living room to face his friends. Jack and Teal'c sat on the couch waiting. Jack handed Daniel a mug of coffee as he entered the room and pointed to a chair placed opposite the couch.

"God, Daniel, how… I really don't know how to start this conversation." Jack was seldom at a loss for words, but this situation completely baffled him.

"Perhaps, DanielJackson, you can tell us when you first began imbibing alcoholic beverages with the purpose of becoming inebriated." Teal'c's soft, deep voice began.

"I'm doing my job. I haven't screwed up anything at work." Daniel's face was impassive and his eyes were cold. "Other than that, my life is my own to do with as I see fit."

"We're your friends, Danny. We care about you, a lot." Jack sighed and drew his hands down his face and said softly, "You made Sam cry – again – and, dammit, Daniel, that's something I won't allow."

Daniel's face flushed at this. He didn't want to cause pain to his friends. He just wanted them to leave him alone until he did what needed to be done.

Jack leaned forward and placed his hand on Daniel's arm. "Daniel, get professional help. This," Jack waved his hand around, referring to the still unclean house, "is not you. Let us help."

"I'm fine, Jack. Everything's under control. Can we go to work now?" Daniel set his empty mug down and stood.

Teal'c stood and stepped in front of Daniel so that the two men were only inches from one another. "Soon after you descended, you told me that you had finally found where you belong; that you were part of something important. Do you no longer feel this way?"

A flicker of emotion flew across Daniel's face before the mask was again in place. "Teal'c, I am still part of that. I have been doing my job. I just don't want you guys in my private life."

Daniel turned, grabbed his jacket and keys, and left.

"That went well." Jack's terse remark reflected his frustration with the situation.

* * *

A/N: Very unDaniel-like behavior, but very human - it gets worse before it gets better!  



	11. Chapter 11

O'Neill knocked on General Hammond's closed door, certain that he had been summoned to talk about Daniel.

"Come in."

Jack sucked in a deep breath to prepare himself for the second unwanted confrontation of the day, and it was only 0930.

"Sit down, Colonel." Hammond gestured toward an empty chair facing him. "You want to tell me what's going on? Major Carter didn't say just why you, Teal'c, and Dr. Jackson were late this morning."

Jack dragged his hand through his hair, knowing that he had to tell the general what was going on. "It's Daniel, sir. I discovered yesterday that he's been drinking - a lot."

George leaned forward and clasped his hands together on his desk. "That's not like him. He seldom drinks."

"Yeah, I know. That's what has me so concerned." Jack stood and began pacing the small office. "From what I saw in his house, this has been going on for months and I missed it. His work has been just as good as it always was. He's fine off world. But he has withdrawn from the team; not spending as much time with us and working even more at night than usual. I just didn't realize how much else was going on."

"I could order him to see Mackenzie."

"Respectfully, sir, no. He hasn't trusted Mackenzie since he threw him into that padded room." Jack slumped back into the chair. "I knew he'd been having problems since that bitch…"

"Well, for now I'm not letting him off world." Hammond cut him off. "He can continue to work on translations and artifacts that other SG teams bring in, but until I know he's not a danger to your team, he's restricted." Hammond stood. The meeting was obviously finished.

Jack nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll tell him."

Jack closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the cold cement wall just outside the general's office. _This is going to be one of the hardest conversations I've ever had. Third one this morning! OK, O'Neill, just get through it._

_XXXXXXXXXX_

Sam poked her head around the door of Daniel's office to see him shuffling papers on his desk. She paused, wondering if she should interrupt and decided against it. She'd just turned away from the door, when she saw the colonel walking toward her. Head down, and clearly wishing Thor would beam him up, he approached Daniel's door. He looked up and saw her standing there. A flash of relief crossed his face and he straightened up. She nodded at him, knowing that he needed to have another difficult conversation with Daniel. As they passed silently in the hall, she reached out, took his hand, and gave it a quick comforting squeeze.

Jack felt bolstered by Sam's unspoken support. He turned and watched her enter the elevator and ride away from him. Pulling his shoulders back, he walked through the open door of Daniel's office.

"I've been waiting for you to show up. Hammond's removed me from the team." Daniel's voice was flat and emotionless.

"No. You won't be allowed on any off world missions until he thinks you aren't a danger to the team, but you aren't off SG1 permanently."

"Well, that's better than I thought." Daniel hadn't looked at Jack since he'd entered the room. He was inwardly relieved that he hadn't been fired. He had to remain at SGC and on the team. If he messed that up… Well, he just would have to do what was needed to see that he remained on SG1 for a few more months. Then he didn't care what happened. He returned his attention to the papers on his desk.

Jack stood there, not knowing how to continue the conversation after Daniel had so blatantly dismissed him.

A few silent minutes passed. Daniel looked up. "You still here?"

"Daniel, what's happening to you?" Jack sighed and took the chance. "I just want the old Danny back. How can we help? "

"The 'old Danny' died on that planet, Jack. He's not coming back. I must have had a sign on my back that said, 'Gullible. Rape me.' Well, no more." Weariness and resignation on his face and in his voice, Daniel turned away from Jack. "Just go. Please. I know what I have to do and you can't help."

Defeated, Jack left.

Daniel dropped his head into his hands, tears of frustration on the brink of spilling over. _OK, I just need to keep it together for a while longer and everything will be fine. _

XXXXXXXXXX

Daniel arrived home that night, determined not to give in to the need to drink himself into oblivion. He had no idea what to do with himself. He couldn't seem to remember back far enough to recall what he used to do at home alone. _Oh, yeah. I used to spend time with my friends. Hell, I can't afford friends right now, so that's out._

He paced around his home, restless and without direction. Finally, he grabbed his jacket and keys and headed out the door. He had managed to ditch Teal'c, but he knew Jack would be bringing him over as soon as they realized he'd left the base early. He felt trapped in his own skin and just needed to do something – anything – to forget. Ten minutes later he found himself in the parking lot at O'Malley's. Dropping his head onto the steering wheel, he wondered how he'd gotten here. Could he go inside and not drink? Maybe one, to numb himself just a little.

No. He knew if he took one drink, he'd have six or seven. He had to stay sober to be allowed off world and he had to go off world again.

Not wanting to go back to the house where Teal'c would be waiting, he pulled the keys out of the ignition and stepped out of his car. Shoving the keys into his pants pocket, he crossed the parking lot. He stood with the palm of his hand on the entrance door, hesitating, not sure if he had the resolve to not drink. He desperately needed to be numb again. He felt as though his brain was crawling with hundreds of miniscule replicators – all out to get him.

With a deep sigh, Daniel pushed the door open and stepped into the warmth of O'Malley's. He headed for the bar and took a corner stool. Signaling the bartender, Daniel glanced around the room at the other patrons.

Herb, the bartender, recognized the customer on the far corner stool. He usually came in with a group of military personnel from the NORAD base. Hadn't seen him in about a year. "Hey, there. What's your poison?"

Wincing at his choice of words, Daniel ordered. "I'll just have a coke, please." Good, that was good. His mouth had actually obeyed his brain.

Shrugging slightly, Herb grabbed a clean glass, scooped a few ice cubes into it, and poured soda from a tap into the glass. Exchanging a five-dollar bill for the drink, Daniel returned to his inspection of the room. It was the middle of the week, so the place was nearly empty and quiet.

Two men in jeans and white t-shirts played pool and sipped their beers, while their dates/wives sat at a nearby table giggling. Another couple occupied a table, huddling as closely together as they could possibly get without sitting on each other's laps. Daniel felt a sharp pain of regret and loss that he would never be able to experience that closeness again. _God, I need a drink!_ Pulling off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose, Daniel ordered his lungs to expand and contract slowly. He sipped deliberately at his coke. Sliding his glasses back on, he continued his inspection of the bar.

Two more men at the bar, each alone. Daniel turned away from the room and faced the mirror on the wall behind the bar. His eyes connected with a woman sitting alone at the far end of the bar. She was in her late twenty's, attractive, but not beautiful. She was dressed in casual business attire; slender, knee-length dark skirt, tailored, yet feminine blouse, and a long, black, leather coat draped across her lap. Her light brown hair was pulled back behind her ears and hung in soft waves to just below her shoulders. She had a book opened on the bar in front of her, next to her drink. She removed her glasses and lifted her drink in a toast to Daniel's reflection.

Daniel blinked several time, then raised his glass in acknowledgment and smiled at her. _Hey, if I can't get drunk, maybe I can get laid._ Daniel was about to slide off his stool and move to her, when he saw her down the rest of her drink, pick up her book, and head in his direction.

"Hi, I'm Molly." She held out her hand in greeting to Daniel.

"Daniel." He patted the empty stool next to him in invitation. She accepted. Daniel waved to get Herb's attention. "Two more of the same, please."

"Please? One doesn't hear such polite conversation in a bar very often. But then, I'm from New York and New Yorkers are not widely known for their manners." Molly nodded her thanks as Herb placed Daniel's coke and her scotch-on-the-rocks on the bar in front of them.

"Here on business?" Daniel tried to remember how to carry on a conversation with a woman who didn't carry a snake in her head or have depraved intentions for his body or brain.

"Yes. I'm a regional manager for a chain of retail stores and we're getting ready to open a new store in the mall around the corner. I stopped in here because I just couldn't face that empty hotel room one more night." Molly turned sideways to watch Daniel as she picked up her drink.

"I can relate to not wanting to be alone. Fish can only carry on so much conversation and then you find you're repeating yourself." Daniel grinned at her and shrugged slightly.

Molly laughed gently at Daniel's confession. She tilted her glass toward him and said, "Well, here's to cozy bars and uncommunicative fish."

They clinked their glasses together and grinned at each other.

"So, how long are you going to be in town?" Daniel was hoping she'd be leaving soon. He did not want to get involved on any level other than physical.

"Probably another week this trip, but over the next few months I'll be in and out frequently." She raised her eyes over her glass to look into Daniel's.

"You want to get out of here? I'd rather not go to my place though. I have a friend visiting." Daniel couldn't look at her face. He knew his was darkening with embarrassment.

_He's married. Oh, well, so am I. _"Sure. My hotel's just across the street."

"Yes. That would work."

Both stood up, gathered their belongings, and Daniel helped her on with her coat. Herb watched as Daniel opened the door for Molly. _That guy is so going to get lucky tonight._

Molly led him to the elevator and up to the second floor. She handed him the key to her room and grasped his arm, waiting for him to open the door. Jabbing the keys into the lock, Daniel gritted his teeth and sucked in his breath. He'd never done what he was about to do – at least not when he was sober or not under the influence of an alien substance. His sexual relationships had been few and they'd always been with someone he cared about.

Molly had slipped her hand under his jacket and began dragging her fingernails lightly across his back. When Daniel pushed the door open and stepped back to let her in, she snaked her hand behind his head and pulled him down into a crushing, tongue thrusting kiss. They stumbled through the doorway as Molly was pulling his shirt out of his pants. Daniel managed to kick the door shut behind them as she dragged her nails firmly across his chest.

_Feels so good. Mindless fucking. Don't think, Jackson, just enjoy._

Daniel lifted her and sat her on the desk next to the door. He slid his hands up her thighs, dragging her skirt up. Finding her ready, he unbuckled his belt and fought Molly for the right to unzip his pants. She grasped him with both hands and began squeezing, while he slapped both hands on the desk beside her hips to support himself. Lifting her hips, she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him in.

The next few months became a blur in repeated nights much like the first. Daniel found hotel bars were easy places to pick up women. Many were businesswomen away from home, just like Molly had been. He never saw the same woman twice, never had to. There were plenty of women who would jump at the chance to screw him. He kept a few changes of clothes in his car, so he wouldn't have to go home and find Teal'c there. He began to feel he had some control back in his life, over his body, glad he'd found a way to sleep without alcohol.

XXXXXXXXXX

No one discovered Dr. Jackson's dirty little secret. No one knew he'd replaced alcohol with sex to avoid thinking or feeling. Teal'c had stayed with him for two weeks and Daniel had managed to be home by eight or nine every night, sober. The team was satisfied that he'd moved on. Except Jack. Jack saw the despair in Daniel's eyes during unguarded moments. The colonel knew something would have to happen soon to bring Daniel out of his almost year-long depression.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter may be about a week. My beta and I both have heavy schedules with school. Only two or three more chapters to go! 


	12. Chapter 12

Ten months after Sansara, SG1 was assigned a routine mission: check out some ruins on an uninhabited world for any signs of technology they could use. Just a couple of uneventful days off world. Sam and Daniel would be in science-geek heaven and Jack would be bored out of his skull.

As they waited in the gate room for Hammond's final "You have a go," Jack noticed that Daniel was acting edgy. Usually unemotional before a mission, Daniel was shifting his weight from leg to leg impatiently, and his eyes sweeping over the room as if he were anticipating a super-soldier incursion. _If he were four years old, I'd think he was doing the "potty dance_. Jack knew whatever plan Daniel's been hiding for months was coming, and decided that he would to keep a close eye on him this mission.

When the event horizon settled back into the shimmering pool they were all so accustomed to, Daniel finally relaxed, uncertainty replaced by determination. Stepping through the gate and onto a new world, Jack hoped the old Daniel, inquisitive and focused, had finally returned.

It was a quick thirty-minute hike to the camp site near the ruins. Sam and Daniel got to work promptly exploring the ruins while Jack and Teal'c surveyed the perimeter, protecting their scientists from unknown dangers.

That night, Jack assigned the first watch to Sam, second to Teal'c, he'd take the third, and Daniel the fourth. He usually gave Daniel the last watch since he was the earliest riser of the four. All those years on archeological dig sites had engrained the habit deeply.

Daniel was already awake when Jack leaned over to shake him for his watch. He holstered his Beretta and grabbed a zat gun, normal procedure when he was on watch. Jack climbed into his sleeping bag while Daniel headed over to the campfire to get a cup of coffee. Jack always made a fresh pot just before getting Daniel up for his watch.

Daniel waited and paced in the predawn darkness. He watched his friends sleeping quietly and regretted that this was probably the last time he'd ever see them like this. His thoughts turned back to the years of friendship he had shared with these three people.

Teal'c, who chose his wife to be host to Amonet. Who fired the blast that had shattered his last hope of a normal life. Who stood by him, counseled him, and supported him. Who taught him so much about love and forgiveness.

Sam. His sister in spirit. She challenged his intellect, forced him to grow beyond his narrow academic world. She'd given him love and acceptance when he hadn't felt worthy of either. She taught him what unconditional friendship was.

Jack. _Oh god, Jack._ A man who'd become his best friend – and his worst enemy. Jack had forced him to question his values, to confront his fears. Jack had become his older brother, protecting and watching over him when he was a "green recruit" and newly thrust into a world of weapons and aliens. Who had teased and tormented him, but wouldn't allow anyone else to. Jack became the father he'd lost too soon. He'd protected, pushed, and challenged him to grow; to accept responsibility for himself. Jack had argued, yelled, teased, and loved him no matter how much Daniel had resisted. _I'll miss him most of all._

After tonight, Daniel knew he'd be off the team. Knew he'd be damn lucky to keep a job at SGC in any way. His life was going to be emptier for that loss, but he knew he was doing the right thing.

Daniel finished the rest of his coffee and rinsed out the cup. He stood, taking one long, last look at his friends, the only family he'd ever known, and, with his heart breaking, he left camp.

Jack had been waiting, feigning sleep. He'd known something was up with the linguist. He woke Teal'c and told him to keep watch until he got back. Following Daniel, his mind raced, running through all the possible reasons Daniel would take off like this. He stayed far enough behind so that Daniel was unaware Jack was following. Within a few minutes, he was certain that Daniel was headed back for the gate. He waited behind a tree while Daniel dialed and left. Jack trotted over to the DHD and was able to catch the address. It was an uninhabited world they had visited the week before. Jack knew Daniel well enough to know that he'd probably gate to several worlds before he reached his final goal.

Jack sprinted back to camp to find that Carter was up. "We've got a problem."

"Daniel, sir?" Sam sat on a log, hugging her hot mug of coffee to her body with both hands in the chilly morning mist.

"Yeah. He's gone." Jack poured himself a cup of hot coffee. "God, what was he thinking? Hammond will never let him off world after this!"

"Did you see the DHD in time?"

"Yeah, but that's not his final destination. I really think he's gone back to confront Chandani. He's been a mess ever since she…well, you know."

"Do you think he'd hurt her?" Sam's concern was reflected in her face.

"Normally, no. But he hasn't been acting normally for almost a year. I have no idea what he'll do."

"I remember the look of satisfaction on his face when he shot the infant goa'ulds on Chulak years ago. That's a side of Daniel that scares me." Sam's face paled with the memory of violence of which her friend was capable if he felt justified.

"Colonel O'Neill, I believe it prudent if we follow DanielJackson and endeavor to prevent any unwise actions on his part." Teal'c's expression revealed no emotion, but Jack noticed his jaw twitched, revealing his anxiety over his friend.

"Sir, don't you think it would be a good idea to go back and report to the general?" Sam questioned.

"Yes, it would, but we're not." Jack was concerned Hammond might order them back to SGC before he could get to Daniel. "We leave in fifteen."

"Sir?"

"We're going after him."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Enormous thanks to my beta, Verb, who practically held my hand through this last chapter. Much of the latter half is due to her. Thanks.

* * *

Daniel gated to three different uninhabited worlds before he reached his final destination, Sansara. He jumped off the platform and began a quick march to the temple. Adrenaline pumping, his mind was working even faster than his heart. He'd waited ten months for this – to see her, cradle her in his arms, and touch her soft skin. His fingers throbbed with need to touch. He had lived with this image for almost a year and finally the time had come. His need to hold her was so intense he was dizzy from the potency of it.

Without noticing where he was, he burst into the clearing surrounding the temple. He pulled himself back into the sheltering jungle darkness and watched for Chandani.

She stepped from the recesses of the temple onto the top step. Punched in the gut by her presence, Daniel gasped for breath. He'd forgotten what just the thought of her could do to him. The nausea began to return and he shoved it down. Now was not the time to deal with that.

She was still so slender. _Surely, she couldn't be so slender so quickly if there had been a baby. Please, God, let there be no child. _Daniel's heart pounded with hope.

Chandani turned back to the doorway hidden in shadow and gestured for someone to come forward. Daniel watched as a servant approached the priestess with a small bundle. Chandani took the bundle gently and began descending the stairs. The servant retreated back into the temple and the door once again made itself invisible.

Chandani continued on the path toward the jungle where Daniel was hidden behind a Banyan tree. As she approached his position, he stepped onto the path in front of her.

She opened her mouth to scream, but Daniel pulled her hard against him and clamped his hand over her mouth. "Do not say a word. Do not scream and I will not harm you. Understand?" Daniel's voice was tight with tension behind his clenched teeth.

Wide-eyed, Chandani nodded her agreement.

Daniel gradually released his hand from her mouth. When he felt sure that she would remain quiet, he stepped back and gazed down at the infant in her arms.

Looking back at him was a perfect replica of him. Blond fuzz covered her head and her large blue eyes followed his. All his tension faded way as he made eye contact for the first time with his daughter.

"My god, she's beautiful." Daniel tenderly reached for her cheek with his fingertips, but Chandani jerked the baby away from his touch.

"She is mine. You should not have come back. Why are you here?" Chandani's voice displayed no emotion other than annoyance.

"I've come for my daughter."

"She belongs to the temple, to Vishnu. You have no part in her life."

"I have every right to be a part of her life! You are not fit to raise a child. I'm taking her back with me to raise her on Earth." The fear and anger Daniel had kept under tight control for the past ten months was finally erupting.

"You have no right to her."

"You had no right to rape me!"

Chandani raised her chin slightly and maintained her chilly calmness in the face of Daniel's ire. "I do not understand why having sex with me was so bad. You were privileged I allowed you to touch me."

"Touch you! God, I wanted to hurt you! On my world, what you did is second only to cold-blooded murder!" Daniel ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "You profess to avoid violence at all cost, but you used drugs and violence to take from me what I would not give. You stole a life from me. You stole her from me." Daniel reached out and snatched the infant from her mother's arms. He turned, intent upon returning to the gate, when Chandani whistled. Almost immediately, six large men, pointing swords at him, surrounded Daniel.

"You said you would never use violence." Daniel's disdain evident in his voice.

"I said violence could not be used to defend me. I did not say I would not use violence to protect that which is mine." Chandani moved toward Daniel to retrieve the baby.

At that moment Jack, Teal'c, and Carter came forward from behind the trees, weapons raised and aimed at the half dozen men surrounding their teammate. "I suggest you drop the swords and leave." Jack's voice was calm, and his team recognized the threat in his voice.

The men looked to Chandani for her order. She nodded once and they complied with O'Neill's order.

"Jack! How did you know where I was?" Daniel clutched the baby a little tighter to his chest.

Jack kept his weapon and his eyes on the men who were now behind the priestess. "I knew something was wrong before we left the SGC yesterday. I followed you and figured you were probably coming here. You've been a mess since we left here ten months ago. I didn't know you'd come to kidnap a child."

"Not a child, Jack - my child." Daniel's voice was soft and tender.

Jack's grip tightened on his P90. _Child?_ The thought hadn't even occurred to him. _Brilliant, O'Neill – first, you can't figure out what's wrong with your best friend, and then you feel like an ass because the answer was right in front of you the whole time. _

"Her purpose for raping me was to get pregnant. It wasn't just the rape that bothered me. It was the thought that a part of me…" Daniel swallowed hard, fighting to control his voice. "That my child would grow up without me. I'm taking the baby home with me." Daniel looked pointedly at Chandani. "She's going to be raised with love and not by someone who would do the things you've done."

"She must be raised here. She is the future of my people." Chandani's voice displayed emotion for the first time. "Without her my people have no one to protect the temple."

"Surely, there must be some other way. Couldn't you just have another child with someone who is willing?" Sam offered.

"Yes, but Vishnu would have to choose and he chose Daniel." Chandani moved closer to Daniel, her voice dropping and becoming seductive. "I do not understand why you have a problem with this. She will have a good life. She will be educated and protected."

Daniel turned to face her. "I have a problem because you left me no choice. You drugged me and used me to get what you wanted, giving no thought to what I wanted." He gazed down at the infant cradled in his arms. "On our world you cannot treat people like that."

"Colonel O'Neill, I believe that DanielJackson has every right as the father of this child to determine how she is to be raised. She," Teal'c's eyebrow raised toward the beautiful woman, "has lost all rights to the child because of her actions."

"OK. We're all agreed that we stand behind Daniel in this?" Jack's gaze shifted between Carter and Teal'c. He knew they'd be breaking all kinds of regulations if they helped Daniel.

They looked at Daniel, who was gazing at his daughter, completely enraptured by her, and both nodded in agreement.

"OK. This is how this is going to go down." Jack turned to Chandani. "We're going to quietly go back home with the baby and you're not going to make a move toward us. You're not going to order your men to make a move toward us. If you do, people will die – maybe including you, if I have anything to say about it." Jack waved his weapon to make his intentions clear. Daniel had lost too much in his life and Jack wasn't going to let him lose a child. "Capisce?"

Chandani's eyes blazed in anger, but she nodded quietly. She recognized the fierce protection this man felt towards Daniel, and knew he would follow through on his threat.

The team surrounded Daniel and his daughter protectively and began the trek back to the gate. Jack, displaying his Special Ops training, turned occasionally to make sure no one was following. Reaching the gate, Sam had begun dialing home when Chandani and about 20 armed men moved out from the jungle behind the gate to face SG1.

Chandani moved through the circle of guards and approached Daniel. "Give me the child."

"See, now how did that happen?" Jack was sure they hadn't been followed. He must be slipping.

Chandani gave a humorless chuckle. "I know a quicker way here. It is my planet. Give me the child."

"No! She's mine!" Daniel curled himself protectively around the sleeping infant.

Chandani smiled. "You do not know the mistake you have made." She raised her arm.

Jack turn to his left, hearing the telltale signs of a glider on a steep approach. "Aw, crap. Carter!"

"On it, sir." Sam fired toward the guards that were blocking her path to the DHD, and finished the dialing sequence.

"I will find a way, Daniel Jackson, to get back the child for Vishnu." She stepped back and was ringed up to the glider.

Daniel closed his eyes, both in regret for lose of life and in fear, wondering if they would make it off this planet that had taken so much from him, and yet given so much back. Looking down at his daughter, he was glad for her existence. Raising her would become the most important thing he could ever do with his life.

"Daniel!" Jack's voice broke through his thoughts. "We need to get going – now!"

Daniel looked up to see the glider circle the air above them, and again start in a deep decent, headed straight for them and the stargate. He ran past the dead and dying men on the ground, past Sam, past Teal'c, and headed straight for the event horizon, holding his daughter tightly to his chest.

"Close the iris!" Daniel caught movement out of the corner of his eye, saw Jack, Sam and Teal'c land on the ramp, vaguely registered Jack's voice. Seconds later, the unmistakable sound of a large object crashing against the iris echoed around the gate room.

"Well." Jack cleared his throat, "I guess you get sole custody, then."

Daniel looked up at Jack, fumbling for words to express his thoughts. "I didn't want to hurt her, Jack. I just…wanted a better life for my daughter." He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to contain the emotions welling up inside.

Jack's voice was soft, "I know, Danny, I know." He clasped Daniel's shoulder, "Whatever you need to raise your daughter… We'll all be there for you."

Daniel opened his eyes and caressed his daughter's tiny cheek. His eyes brimming with unspilled tears, he looked at all three of his friends. "I know you will."


End file.
